LOCATION TAMPICO            NM+CO
Established Series
Rev. BDS/CDL/LWH
05/2007

TAMPICO SERIES


The Tampico series consists of deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in noncalcareous granitic sediments. These soils are on mountain slopes, toeslopes, valleys and fans. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Ustic Haplocryolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tampico loam - forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

0i--0 to 1 inches; needles, leaves, and twigs in various stages of decomposition.

A1-- 1 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 6 inches thick)

A2--7 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; highly micaceous; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)

BA--12 to 18 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; weak to moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium and fine roots; few fine pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

Bw--18 to 31 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few medium roots; many fine pores; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)

BC--31 to 61 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine pores; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: McKinley County, New Mexico; one mile south of McGaffey Lookout; sec. 23. T. 13 N., R. 16 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Rock fragments of gravel, channers and angular cobble, gravel in the 10 to 40 inch section range from 5 to 35 percent.

The soils are slightly acid through slightly alkaline.

Annual soil temperature ranges from an estimated 43 to 47 degrees F., with summer soil temperatures ranging from an estimated 65 to 59 degrees F., without 0 horizons.

Soil moisture: Typic ustic moisture regime

A horizon
Hue: 10YR through 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam, loam modified by gravel in the lower portion.

BA and Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5YR and includes 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Consistence: hard to very hard
Texture: loam, clay loam with estimated 22 to 30 percent clay.

BC horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Auzqui (WY), Bynum (MT), Emerald (CO), Redcloud (CO), Tamp (CO), Teton (MT), Thayne (WY), Tilton (CO), Uhl (WY) and Wrenman (T) (WY) series. Auzqui, Bynum, Redcloud, Thayne, Tilton and Wrenman soils are calcareous within 40 inch depths. Auzqui and Tilton soils also lack cambic horizons. Emerald soils do not have cambic horizons and the rock fragments are dominantly stones. Tamp soils have mean annual soil temperatures less than 45 degrees F. Mean annual summer soil temperature is less than 56 degrees F., without 0 horizons. Teton and Wrenman soils have bedrock at less than 40 inch depths. Uhl soils do not have cambic horizons and less than 5 percent rock fragments.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tampico soils are on steep mountainside slopes, nearly level floors of narrow valleys, toeslopes and fans in the uplands of elevations of 7,500 to 9,800 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 50 percent. These soils formed mainly in noncalcareous sediments washed from granite and sandstone of nearby uplands. The climate is cool temperate continental with average annual air temperature ranging from 37 to 45 degrees F., and a mean annual July temperature of about 65 degrees F. The annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 25 inches. The frost-free period is less than 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mirabal, Supervisor, and Zuni soils. Mirabal and Supervisor soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Also, Mirabal soils lack a mollic epipedon. Zuni soils have a fine textured control section, an argillic horizon, and montmorillonitic mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly for wood products, grazing, and recreation. Ponderosa pine is the dominant tree species with some Douglas-fir, aspen, pinyon pine, juniper, and scattered stands of oakbrush. The understory is Arizona fescue, blue grama, mountain muhly, rabbitbrush, and iris.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The mountainous areas in north-central New Mexico, and north-western Colorado. Moderately extensive. MLRAs 39 & 48A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: McKinley County (Zuni Mountain Area), New Mexico, 1964.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - the zone from 1 to 12 inches. (Al and A2 horizons)

Cambic horizon - the zone from 18 to 31 inches. (Bw horizon)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.